Switching-cable hook



D. T. GOODMAN.

SWITCHING CABLE HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.8, 920.

1 ,387,703, Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

2 SHEEN-SHEET '1.

UNITED STATES DAVID T. GOODMAN, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCHHTG-CABLE HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

Application filed November 8, 1920. Serial No. 422,562.

To all whomit may concern Be it known that I, DAVID T. GOODMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switching- Cable Hooks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to hooks for switching cables such as are commonly employed in the switching of railway cars, whether the switched car be on the same track with the switching locomotive or on a different track.

The prime object of the present invention is to provide an improved hook that may be engaged with either a coupling head or a roping staple of a car to be moved, as conditions may dictate.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hook, of which one may be employed at each end of a cable, so that both hooks may be engaged with couplers or both may be engaged with roping staples or one may be engaged with a coupler and the other with a roping staple, whether the switching cable is used in connection with a car and locomotive on the same track or on different tracks.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the application of the pulling strain will be to the rear of the bight of the hook as distinguished from the free end of the stem of the hook, so as to deliver the pull in the general direction of the extension of the bill instead of at a broad angle to the bill, so as to avoid the excessive breaking strains that would otherwise ensue.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the coupling heads of a locomotive and car respectively, with a switching cable embodying the present invention and connected with them.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the locomotive and car on different tracks.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the hook at one end being engaged with the 10- comotive coupler andwhile that at the other end of the cable is engaged with the roping staple of a car.

Fig. at is a perspective view of the cable hook.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, to include the cable receiving socket.

Fig. 6 is an elevation looking into the opening of the side hook member.

Referring now to the drawing, the present structure embodies a hook member for engagement with a coupler and a hook memher for engagement with a roping staple, the openings of the two hooks being at opposite sides of a common stem and at opposite sides of a socket located to the rear of the bight portions or bends of the hooks so as to receive a cable end and permit the strains on the cable to be along a line that approximates a position midway between the directions in which the two hooks open. The structure will be first described from the standpoint of its coupler engaging features and then with respect to the features that adapt it for engagement with a roping staple.

Referring to the drawings, the present device includes a stem 10, a bill 11 and a bend or bight portion 12, the opening included between these portions being shaped and proportioned to engage the knuckle of a coupling in place of the usual cooperating knuckle. these parts having any desired skeleton formation in the interest of strength and lightness. lVhen this structure is engaged with a coupling knuckle, it is held against dropping from place through the medium of a carrying strap 13 that extends from the bill of the hook to the lateral extension 14: at the free end of the stem of the hook. This strap, when the device is in position, bears upon the knuckle of the coupler and carries the weight of the device. In order to prevent the device from rocking out of engagement with the coupling knuckle, it is provided at the outer edge of its bight with an upwardly directed finger 15, which when it is in place, bears against the horn of the coupler. V

The free end face of the stem 10 merges into the corresponding face of the lateral extension 14 with a convex curvature 16, for a purpose to be presently explained.

From the opposite side of the stem 10 to the bight 12, there extends the bight 17 to the bill 18 of a secondhook, the opening of which gradually increases to the tip of the bill. These two hooks are in tne same plane and the bisectors of their openings, represented by the dotted lines 19 and 20 respectively, are approximately parallel. The outer face of the bight 12, hereinbefore referred to, merges into the outer face of the bill 18 of the second hook.

A structure of this character is subjected to intense strains, requiring great strength and it is important that strains be delivered along the lines of greatest strength. The present device is designed to substantially eliminate tensile and bending strains from the stems and the directly adjacent portions of the bights of the hooks. It is also important that the cable be attached in a manner to occupy a minimum of space with the maximum of stability. For these purposes, there is embodied in the structure a tapered or frusto-conical, open-ended socket 21,. the axis of which. approximates the longitudinal axis of the stem 10. This axis intersects a plane indicated by the line 23 that is. intermediate the heights of. the bills of the, hooks, at the major end of the socket opening, the axis trending downwardly in the direction of the minor end of the socket- Upon reference to Fig. 5 of the drawings, it will be noted that at the major end of the socket opening, is an inwardly directed flange 24, the diameter of the inclosure of which is somewhat greater than the minor diameter of the socket opening.

In attaching the cable, it is engaged through the socket and the strands at the extremity are loosened for a distance. approximately to equal the length of the socket and the cable is then drawn through the socket until its extremity is just beyond the flange 24, the resiliency of the cable causing it to spread behind the flange. An alloy embodying antimony to insure expansion of the metalas it, accumulates is then run into the socket and between the strands to prevent them drawingtogether when strain is.

applied to the cable in the direction of the minor end of the socket. This enlarged resultant end is then effectively prevented from drawing out of the socket. To insure an effective hold of the metal to the strands of the cable, they are subjected to an ordinary tinning process before the metal is poured. It will, of course, be understood that any suitable metal for thispurposemay be used.

Upon reference to the drawings, it will be noted that while the minor end of the socket 21 is continued somewhat beyond-the bights of the two. hooks, it lies in most part to the rear of them. so .that tensile and bending. strains. are substantially eliminated from the stems of the hooks and the directly device is subjected to pulling strains from the (able that is anchored in the socket.

it will be noted upon reference to the drawings, that it is the hook that embodies the bill 11 that engages the coupler knuckle while it is the hook that embodies the bill 18 that engages the roping staple, the two hooks being interchangeably employed while the cable securing socket is positioned so that the cable is common in its function, to both hooks as is also the hook stem 10.

When a pair of these hooks are engaged with couplers of vehicles on the same track, and such vehicles come together, the faces 16 of the two switching cable hooks abut and the dimensions of the parts are such that the cable between the two cable hooks will hang freely between them with such gradual bends as will not injure the cable or tend to press its terminal hooks out of engagement with their respective coupling knuckles.

It will be understood that when a locomotive is to be directly connected with a car to be shifted, the hook embodying the bill 1.1 is engaged with its coupling knuckle while at the other end of the cable, the correspondingv hook member is engaged with a coupling knuckle of a car before the hook embodying'the bill 18 is engaged with the roping staple of a car, as conditions of use may dictate. It will also, of course, be understood that the switching cable equipped with the present invention may be used between two cars on the same-or different tracks instead of between a locomotive and a car, with equal facility.

The flange 2 1 hereinbefore. referredto, is designed to prevent pushing of. the. cable from the socket under the influence of corresponding influences towhich the device is subjected in use.

What is claimed is:

1. A hook for switching. cables having. a. bumper face at the free end ofv its stem, cable attaching means, spaced materially from the bumper face inthe direction of the bill of thehook, and a cable connected. with the attaching means and of such flexibility as to permit it to hang therefrom rearwardly of the bumper face.

2. A hook for switching cables, embodying a pair of hook membersopening. in the same general direction and having a common stem, and a pulling cable connected rearwardly of the bights of the hook. members, the connected portion of the. cable ex-- tending thence forwardly beyond and between the bight' portions. of the hookmembers.

3.- The combination, with a switching cable, of a pair of hooks, each embodying a pair of hook members openinginthe same general direction and having a common stem, and a cable receiving socket extending from a point in advance of the bights of the hooks along the common stem and Well to the rear of the bights of the hooks and in which sockets the corresponding ends of the cable are secured.

DAVID T. GOODMAN.

\Vitnesses T. K. HAFFLY, H. L. J ONES. 

